Sunday, September 04, 2016

I listened to you on Molyneux and was impressed enough to follow your link here. Alas, as so often is the case, a closer inspection disappoints. The format of the site is not engaging, and neither is the tone. There’s an imperiousness, an intemperance about the writing that any traditionalist should find off-putting. The rules regarding commenting strike me as especially heavy-handed and narrow-minded. There appears to be an imperative need to delete everything and anything outside the privileged in-group’s wonted expectations. And the sneering boasts about superior mental attainments sound juvenile and absurd, especially given the gaming provenance of so many of you. If a commenter comes up short in debate (by what criterion we can only guess), why would that necessitate deleting his entire argument? Arguments stand or fall on their own merits and have nothing to do with “regulars.” or cliques. You brag that it’s “not a democracy.” Fine. But does that mean it’s a police-state? Your “finish him” attitude toward the intellectual arena would seem to owe more to Nintendo than Socrates.

I think GJ would do well to spend a little bit more time reading the comments here before reaching any conclusions. What necessitates deleting entire arguments is when they are presented by trolls, some of whom are Soros-paid hasbaras of one sort or another, some of whom are simply people with various psychological issues or an intense personal dislike of me or my politics. There are also those commenters who are intent on spreading a message of defeatism and despair, who may or may not be paid to do it. In none of these cases are they arguing honestly, and long experience has taught me that there is absolutely no benefit to permitting them any leeway at all.

While you may not recognize commenters intent on causing problems, I have been blogging for 13 years and it is very easy for me to recognize the different between someone who is honestly presenting an argument and someone who is not. For example, if you go to Steve Sailer's or other right-wing blogs, you will see EXACTLY the same comments being copy-pasted into the comment threads there. Those commenters are autokill-on-sight; their comments are deleted and their usernames are spammed.

On the rare occasions that I mistakenly spam an honest commenter, I immediately restore their commenting privileges.

So, yes, one could say that it is a police state if one likes, although I would liken it more to a place that is under a constant state of siege. For example, when we tried allowing the SJW List to be open to editing by everyone, Wikipedia-style, every single page was either poison-pilled or spammed within 24 hours. Once we locked it down, we ceased to have any problems and the SJW List has continued to grow steadily since.

Now, I could simply lock down VP to registered commenters only, but I prefer not to do that since it would dissuade genuine passersby and casual commenters. Instead, I keep it open and crack down hard and fast on griefers. I don't delete very many comments, there are only 31 trolls on autovanish, and the fact that GJ's comment was not deleted should suffice to prove that differing opinions are permitted. The fact is that no one who posts a comment or series of comments that is an honest, on-topic argument need fear their comments will be deleted simply because they disagree with me or because it is outside the privileged in-group's expectations.

As for Socrates, there is nothing Socratic about this blog. If you were more familiar with it, you would know the contempt in which that old dishonest fraud is held here. I prefer to try presenting conclusive and persuasive syllogisms, not play word games that prove nothing. And rest assured, despite being the Leader of #GamerGate, my "start nothing, finish everything" attitude owes nothing to Nintendo or even Mortal Kombat.

Things are as they are for various reasons, many of which have nothing to do with my personal idiosyncracies or preferences. The reason this blog is still around and still growing is because I respond to the actions of the commenters here, both good and bad.

108 Comments:

Concern troll would seem to be very concerned. Far be it from me to criticise our esteemed host but I find this post and explanation to be unnecessary, pandering even: as a mid-time reader here, none of the GJs comments ring true.

IMHO, the special snowflakes are feeling the tide turn and are trying to make a comfortable place for themselves in the established alternatives by making them conform more to "muh feelz".

"There’s an imperiousness, an intemperance about the writing that any traditionalist should find off-putting."

There seems to be shades of "We must set the example and be polite so we don't represent the Conservative Movement as a bunch of meanieheads!" to this poster's mewlings.

Someone should tell GJ (if he/she isn't a paid shill,) that when the enemy is throttling you and you're starting to black out, your response to this turn of events should not be "I'd knee this guy in the nuts and free myself, but that would be dirty pool and I don't want anyone thinking I'm a bounder and a cad." It should be to knee the guy in the nuts so your departing soul will not have to witness the sight of your enemy pissing on your corpse.

Heh, if his first experience was listening to you and he was impressed then there's no reason for him to not be even more impressed by your blog and your written word. I believe you've said yourself that you're better at the written word than spoken dialog, and I agree, though I've come to also appreciate the latter now in my 2nd year as a Brainstorm member. As for the "imperiousness" and "sneering" about achievement, well, I believe there's a saying about people generally preferring the strong horse. Obviously your numbers support that.

DO NOT IGNORE THIS TICKET! You are accused of violating the following Cuckservative Tone Rules;#2 "Always let any person claiming to be a Conservative say any damn thing he pleases, Lies, insults, retardation, as long as he claims muh Constitution and Real Conservatism, it's not your blog."#4 "Never post clear and easy to understand and follow rules for your commenters. That makes it too easy to slap the monkeyshit out of cucks, liars, (((manipulators))), paid agents and other petty vandals."and#7 "Always let autists, trolls and saboteurs disrupt any productive conversation, derailing it anyway they please."

If you wish to contest this ticket, you must allow the Tone Policeman who issued it to continue saying stupid and even egregiously dishonest things on your blog until he drives the other commenters away.Otherwise, you will be required to issue a full confession, followed by abject apology and acknowledgement that you are a racist, and not as smart as the Tone Policeman who issued the ticket. You will also be required to pay a fine in the amount of 6 Million internets.

Remember, it's not your blog, it's our opportunity to preen and prance upon a stage that we didn't build.

Speaking of style police, did anyone else read Garrison Keillor's "eviscerating" open letter to Trump? It was hard not to laugh at his shallow, mean girl disdain of Trump wearing baseball caps and not being an elitist. So much projection...so much disdain for the working class.

No one hates the working class more than someone who escaped it and is accepted by the Ivy Leaguers as a social equal. For crying out loud, he was born in Anoka and went to the U of M; one could not get more plebian than him without immigrating from Mexico.

He is a wonderful storyteller, but his crabbed personality and ex-prole snobbishness denied him greatness as a writer.

Because there are a fair number of new visitors to the blog, and the response might help some of them understand that not everything about this blog happens in a vacuum, or solely as a result of my personal idiosyncracies and preferences.

keillor has a face for radio. No one would ever tune in again after seeing that repugnant twat's troll face beneath the Larry King dome. No wonder he strives to affect so, and conceal his spite beneath a veneer of passive aggressive class.

Because there are a fair number of new visitors to the blog, and the response might help some of them understand that not everything about this blog happens in a vacuum, or solely as a result of my personal idiosyncracies and preferences.

When I first visited, I thought the moderation policy was draconian and vain, Vox was childish for baiting people and for namecalling, and that he was cheerleading things he was merely predicting. Now I've been a regular reader for three years and have moved from cuck-leaning to alt-right-aligned. Perspectives change.

Obviously Vox needs to make the blog more Pinterest friendly. I think the annual BlogHer Conference holds workshops on how to photograph from 19 different angles and use cutesy yet stilted language to engage your readers.

But ain't nobody got time for that. This blog needs more Instagram. Passersby want to know!

"Our kind, avuncular, taxpayer-subsidized bard of the prairie...." I think Mitch Berg coined that about Keillor. But he had an odd idea, and managed to spin that idea into a minor empire. He, and his boss at Minnesota Public Radio, got rich from that show, and MPR now owns 45 stations and more translators.

He is also reputed to be obsequious with superiors, tyrannical and petty with subordinates. A typical lefty manager, IOW. His political opinions are probably shared with 95 percent of his fans; but I'd guess that 50 percent or more of Minnesotans would not know who he was, and another 25 percent would know him by his name, but not his works. He's a big fish in a smallish pond.

Your “finish him” attitude toward the intellectual arena would seem to owe more to Nintendo than Socrates.

Socrates was a distinguished soldier during the Peloponnesian war. You don't survive a phalanx without being prepared to curb stomp the enemy. Kids today man, can't even look up a historical figure on wikipedia.

There's a grain of truth to a few of his arguments, as show in a couple of knock-down-drag-outs our host and myself have gotten into, but despite his vicious, make it personal approach, he didn't delete them when they ended as draws (as you'd expect from two experienced on-line "debater" Sigmas of equal IQ from Flyover Country). I do wish he'd argue more in good faith, and not make so many laughable (because they're so wildly incorrect) conjectures about who and what I am, but it all works out.

For me, that is; some non-cuckservatives of good will but with thinner skins and/or less debating skill will no doubt avoid this place, but our host is what he is. To quote Lincoln, who at least fought the Civil War to a success whatever the minor differences we otherwise have with him, "I can't spare this man, he fights!"

As the NRO set has show us over the decades, we need men who fight our enemies effectively, vs reserving that for people on their side who they find distasteful.

For all that I have been reprimanded here on various occasions for sundry reasons, I still find the commenting policy here to be superior to, and far more open than, that which is found at many Alt-Right sites -- let alone cuckservative portals.

(Radix, for example, wouldn't allow me to point out that Richard Spencer's "But I am Napoleon!" dream of "taking over" the EU was completely bonkers; but more surprisingly, neither would Counter-Currents, which doesn't even agree with that looney-tunes notion. I expect this kind of tone policing at The American Cuckservative, but at Alt Right sites? Really?)

The watchfulness for Hasbara trolls and readiness to squelsh them, on the other hand, is a policy that all Alt-Right sites should adopt -- and ironically, (I'd hate to say, suspiciously,) it is to obviously philo-Semitic propaganda that most other Alt-Right sites are too open; naively so.

People don't seem to understand that VP is essentially VOX'S HOUSE. The post/topic is a sign he's put up on his house, hence everyone can see it walking by, but he's set up a bulletin board inside the fence for others to discuss about the sign. Your comment stays on the owner's whim - it's not a privilege nor a right.

The only reason there's an appearance of it being "free speech" is because the owner is gracious enough to accept different viewpoints. He'll throw out the crazy people who try to defecate on his lawn though.

"There’s an imperiousness, an intemperance about the writing that any traditionalist should find off-putting."

@ GJ

The same could be said of a biker bar...which this more or less is.

Temperance lost us the culture war.

A lack of imperiousness with our opposition is viewed by them (correctly for the most part) as weakness. It's treated accordingly.

Apparently the "Harvard of West" left it's mark on you. You see or at least try to see more in common with guys with handles like Bunky and Pongo, than you do with a guys who turns a wrench for living and can't wait for opening day.

The guys who can't get jobs as roofers because they're the wrong color and then get told by the people you hold in such esteem, "you're obsolete...Oh and a racist!"

I was banned from The Market Ticker, for posting some innocuous but true observations about Ron Paul and gold (I don't remember the details, it was years ago, and it was entirely on topic). Vox has created a genuine...sniff...cyber...tears welling up...community...I feel better now. But seriously, VP has the best comment policy I have seen of any site I hang out at. Which is why I spend more time here than any other site (well, one reason, I suppose).

@43 Daniel, I think the lack of numbers in the mobile version has been noted. I don't think there's a solution.

The guy sounds like an older-ish NRO reader in the early stages of being red pilled. His mental model doesn't include the new opportunities and reality being shaped by the alt media, nor how it works. We've all seen online communities completely destroyed by inept moderation.

Karl Denninger bright man but a bit of a kook, his commenting policy now suits him best, no comments.

45 I think you nailed it the guy played the part of Papa Conservative and found out he was being wheeled into a political hospice, yet he can't give up his nobility even when being abused by the Lena Dunhams of the world, "muh principles"

I really can't ascertain the reason behind the critique. Butt hurt is the best I've got.

No one hates the working class more than someone who escaped it and is accepted by the Ivy Leaguers as a social equal. For crying out loud, he was born in Anoka and went to the U of M; one could not get more plebian than him without immigrating from Mexico.

This is Kevin Williamson in a nutshell. He trashes his own to signal to fellow Nationalism Reviled Oldtyme staffers "see? I hate them just as much as you!" Sorry, Kevin, you always will be a gifted shitkicker in their eyes no matter how obsequious you are. Try to regain a little dignity, man, before you are expected to give them blowjobs like a little bitch.

He is also reputed to be obsequious with superiors, tyrannical and petty with subordinates.

In other words, Keillor is the polar opposite of Trump. Lefty men almost always suffer from major penis envy, and those of us who respect people below us and have the guts to question our superiors when they are wrong force them to examine what truly little men they are, dick and otherwise.

First, it is an assumption on my part GJ has a non-economic motive; from what I've seen he may just be paid. Also, regarding Keillor and Williamson, the obsequious behavior is a manifestation of self-loathing, too.

GJ's first was off-putting. That's too bad, he should give it another chance. I've been reading Vox since WND, before the blog even had comments, and yes, the tone and yes, the impatience with trolls, and yes the occasional foray into weirdness . . . but there also are rare flashes of brilliance, of penetrating insight, of real live genius, that you just don't get from carefully modulated writers at carefully curated sites. Hang in there, GJ, VP may not be what you were hoping for but it may be what you need.

I do understand where GJ is coming from, at first the approach to some commenters also seemed a bit OTT to me, (it could bring to mind childhood memories of Skeletor talking to his henchmen).

But I came to realise that you're right in this approach for all the reasons you've given. It's also why I rarely commented online myself much. I don't see the point in debating anonymous strangers, when I don't know if you're talking to A) a genuine person arguing in good faith or B) an idiot who is a waste of time anyway. Over the years I became convinced that many commenters and mods were definitely paid shills and trolls; they had to be doing this for a living. It could be fun to see these people excoriated and their stupid arguments demolished, but it would get old and increasingly frustrating when the same idiots would constantly hijack and derail threads with the same nonsense. It was obvious that this was part of their ploy and eventually you just wanted them to go forth and copulate. I can see it's a real problem.

I visit this blog every day now, and read many of the comments too. I find it generally engaging and I don't get frustrated either so the policy must be correct.

I think the problem with trolls is that the newer commenters here are still learning when obvious troll is obvious--so instead of ignoring the many iterations of a Tad, they use it as an opportunity to flex their dialectical or rhetorical muscles.

No one hates the working class more than someone who escaped it and is accepted by the Ivy Leaguers as a social equal. For crying out loud, he was born in Anoka and went to the U of M; one could not get more plebian than him without immigrating from Mexico.

He is a wonderful storyteller, but his crabbed personality and ex-prole snobbishness denied him greatness as a writer.

Steve Sailer noticed in his post about the column that Keillor couldn't make it in the bright lights of Manhattan and retreated to the twin cities so that he could remain a big fish in a smaller pond.

I also followed the link here from SM. Seen Vox before, maybe on Redice and im very impressed by the arguments and the description of reality he gives. Im just a bit afraid i might get bored here cause i will be agreeing to much :(

Thanks VD for the invitation to your "house". As a another follower since the days at WND, I am most grateful for your contributions in this "new arena" of the alt-right. As a aging boomer, I had given up hope on America as a place for WN Christians; this movement is truly a historic one. I have even become re-engaged in right-wing politics- for that, again, Thanks!

"The reason this blog is still around and still growing is because I respond to the actions of the commenters here, both good and bad."

I agree with you. I think that has big reason why I continue to read here most days. When I first came here you responded with my comments regarding the TIA with a blog post. I always thought that was pretty cool. I think helps it helps on an emotional level that when people comment that they feel heard. So often in life when you speak nobody appears to be listening when you have something to say that you think is important. I can honestly say I would no be the person I am today if not for Vox Popoli and alpha game.

Daniel wrote:Since we are talking about the blog itself, I think it would improve if the mobile version had the comment numbers.

Agreed! And the ability to click on comment heading as we do on computer version to cut and paste comment.

Those functions are a very recent phenomenon and you fellows seem to be blissfully unaware that Mathew had to sell part of his soul to enable them in the web version. The price was just to high to do the same for mobile.

I think the problem with trolls is that the newer commenters here are still learning when obvious troll is obvious--so instead of ignoring the many iterations of a Tad, they use it as an opportunity to flex their dialectical or rhetorical muscles.

Who gave you permission to take a break from the glory-hole? Back! Back!

"There’s an imperiousness, an intemperance about the writing that any traditionalist should find off-putting."

Step one in the Cuckold recovery process is to stop being a pussy and caring so much about tone. Vox's bedside manner is actually an important component here in that it forces the GJs of the world to either man up and argue like men or self-identify as weaklings.

Daniel wrote:Yeah I thougth I can not be be the 1st one to notice. But as a programmer, it baffles me how sometimes easily fixable bugs run long times annoying users bwcause no one just reports them thx!

I think I know a way I might be able to get the comment numbers to show up on mobile, but it's speculative and would probably take at least a day's work with no promise of success.

But as a programmer, it baffles me how sometimes easily fixable bugs run long times annoying users bwcause no one just reports them thx!

As a user, I recognize that programmers have their own priorities and minor bugs are low on the list. I once talked to our IT guy about changing the font sizes on a system-generated cover sheet to emphasize pertinent information. He said it was a quick edit to the style sheet. Easy peasy. Nine months later, the layout changed.

Currently, one function routinely produces a series of ten error popups, but still functions without error in the output. I use a pattern - hit enter six times, pause, hit enter four times. I don't bother to report it because God only knows if he'll ever get to it and he has plenty on his plate already.

One religous blogger used to be so lax with the ban hammer you'd go to read comments from people trying to share super interesting stories about the metaphysical horror they experienced the first time they saw Pope Bogo only to find a notorious troll had weaseled his way in and devolved the conversation toward gay sex practices. Fisting. I'm not even making that up.

I'd come here and luxuriate in the order. A daddy, with author-i-tie is obviously in the house.

P.s. The religious blogger eventually did embrace the "Just War" philosophy and now hammers heretics mercilessly--thank God.

5343 wrote:Who gave you permission to take a break from the glory-hole?

Because we don't get enough of this sort of thing from Steve already ...

This strikes me as especially heavy-handed and narrow-minded. I find there’s an imperiousness, an intemperance about the writing that any traditionalist should find off-putting. Furthermore, the format of the site is not engaging, and neither is the tone. We need to get someone like N. K. Jemison in here to moderate. Let's install Scalzi as the President of the VP blog while we're at it, and Phil Pedofer, PhD for inclusiveness, if you know what I mean.

The trouble with a some traditionalists is that they get offended over the alt-right's rejection of playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules with gangs of Alinskyites (SJWs, BLM et al) and the enemies within the gates represented by the Cuckservatives (NRO, Neo-Kohannim, Churchians) who play by no such gentlemanly rules. As noted in Bateman's Radix article, they want to bring a badminton racket to a gun fight. They're forgetting that we're in an actual war here, though the shooting at present consists of dindus killing and raping YT while Lügenpresse covers it up (along with police, prosecutors and others allegedly devoted to the "rule of law").

Despite many good aspects, this was one of Larry Auster's greatest weaknesses - along with his (((tribalism))). The error (for real traditionalists as opposed to cucks concern-trolling as such) is their assumption of good intentions on the part of our enemies, in the face of a mountain of evidence that such intentions on the part of our enemies were never more that pigments of traditionalist imaginations. With cuck concern-trolling, the virtue-signaling will ultimately triumph as this behavior is intrinsic to cuckery and Churchianity. With traditionalists, they'll ultimately see that the only way any semblance of tradition can be rebuilt is to complete destroy the enemy wherever they may be found.

I nearly broke my ribs a few years ago when I learned that the most popular show on NOR is "Car Talk"!

Let that sink in for a minute. NPR, THE radio network of Leftist, upper-crust, pseudo-intellectual snobs can't produce a show more popular than a call-in automotive advice show hosted by a couple of smart grease monkies who make every comment and allusion of anything something to mock and laugh at.

And the show is.so popular that even though one of the hosts has died it's still attracting it's listeners with reruns! Of an advice show!

GJ's observations are largely accurate. There certainly is "an imperiousness, an intemperance" found here, and the commenting rules certainly are "heavy-handed and narrow-minded". Further, there are many obsequious "regulars or cliques" among the commenters. All of which serves to drive potential participants away. This is why many people doubtless read the blog but stay away from further engagement.

With all that said, this blog serves an important niche in the growing alt-right ecosystem. A certain type of person is drawn here, and hugely effective anti-SJW activism results. Further, the book "SJWs Always Lie" is a little masterpiece that just may be pivotal in helping to save our civilization from the SJW scum. On the whole, the blog is a net plus, but not for every alt-righter, and understandably so.

I have quit other sites because of their lax moderation practices--SJW infestations inevitably ruin them. Vox moderates the site quite tolerantly, while eliminating the trolls, which requires a lot of skill.....

@59 Yes, Keillor is a fine story teller, but it's always the same story. A good formula, but one that I personally find boring. But as Steve Sailer points out, when Keillor writes on politics, he shows no imagination or nuance at all....So he's a guy with a very narrow talent, and a limited audience.

Hey, GJ, if you don't like the heavy-handedness, narrow-mindedness, snearing boasts, and Nintendo-cruelty, you don't have to spend all day here. But if you ever do want them, drop by. The internet has enough room for at least one rightwing, heavy-handed, narrow-minded, snearingly boastful, and Mortal Kombat-type site.

So long as we're talking about what we don't like about this site, I'm sick of the references to autism. No one's accused me of being autistic in a while, but for some reason posters on this board, including Vox, do that a lot without cause. I assume it'll go the way of "retard" and not actually mean anything soon. But in the meantime it's annoying. I'm utterly sick of the train joke. I don't like "memes" and internet-y slang in general. If I never hear "butthurt" or "feelz" again I'll die a happy man.

I'm not that into "game," though I agree with the underlying socio-psycho-sexual-whatevero logic. I haven't played video games since I was 16. I'm not all that into science fiction, though I've read plenty of novels and short stories in the genre.

I'm not a nationalist. I'm not a believer. I am not entirely opposed to free trade, and do not believe it requires the free movement of people across borders. I don't believe in the inevitability of the coming race war. I don't believe Norman Borlaug was evil. I don't believe Gamergate was the only successful, non-SJW political movement ever. I don't particularly care about gamergate.

But no one cares about me, GJ, or my thoughts and feelings. Not do they Cate about yours, nor should they. We should probably shut up.

Oh, and I don't care for all the IQ talk, either. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and if you're smart it'll show. No need to publicize the quantify your intelligence. Only autistes care about numbers. And I should know, I have 120 smart points.

@45 "The guy sounds like an older-ish NRO reader in the early stages of being red pilled. His mental model doesn't include the new opportunities and reality being shaped by the alt media, nor how it works. "

Thus, Vox carefully shooting OVER this guy's shoulder to the left. He may or may not be able to become a member of the Alt-Right, but he's at least looking in our direction to see if it's where he's supposed to be.

I had a moment when this guy used the term, "Traditionalist," as in, WTF does that mean anyway? Every male and female I hear using that term now, turns out to be either SJWs, or Churchians, or complete Gamma Cucks.

I think the last time that term had some footing was in the 1990's when Pat Buchanan tried to stay a Gentleman, helping to cause his failure.

tublecane wrote:So long as we're talking about what we don't like about this site, I'm sick of the references to autism. No one's accused me of being autistic in a while, but for some reason posters on this board, including Vox, do that a lot without cause. I assume it'll go the way of "retard" and not actually mean anything soon. But in the meantime it's annoying. I'm utterly sick of the train joke.

A large percentage, possibly a majority, of the commenters here are somewhere "on the spectrum", and yes, I include myself in that. We're unlikely to ever stop referring to it.

I don't like "memes" and internet-y slang in general. If I never hear "butthurt" or "feelz" again I'll die a happy man.

Until a few days ago, I have never heard Alt Right. I saw a libertarian linking to the book SJW Always Lie then I bought the book and read it. I didn’t even know what SJW acronym stood for. The book led me here.

I always felt under constant terror from SJW are out there to destroy my life and take away my children’s future. The book provides some useful tactics. It’s contradictory that I’m not white, non-religious, and an immigrant, yet am terrified by SJW and ended up here.

Vox Day reminds me of this article Isaiah’s Job by Albert Jay Nock:

http://www.bigeye.com/isaiahs_job.htm

I would like to think myself intelligent enough to be one of the Remnants as defined by the article. As a Remnant, this will probably the only post. I’m off to busily do what a Remnant does.

Tom K. wrote:I nearly broke my ribs a few years ago when I learned that the most popular show on NOR is "Car Talk"!

Let that sink in for a minute. NPR, THE radio network of Leftist, upper-crust, pseudo-intellectual snobs can't produce a show more popular than a call-in automotive advice show hosted by a couple of smart grease monkies who make every comment and allusion of anything something to mock and laugh at.

And the show is.so popular that even though one of the hosts has died it's still attracting it's listeners with reruns! Of an advice show!

Just how sophisticated do these NPR drones think they are?

NPR listeners are, as one of the Magliozzi brothers would have stated about themselves (the older brother died and the show has been in re-runs for a few years) - unencumbered by the thought process.

Ray Magliozi closed every segment of the show with a variation on "Even though Garrison Keillor (or some other NPR personality) vomits (or other comically violent reaction) every time we say it, this is NPR."

@93-I was profoundly influenced by Nock back in the day, especially by "Memoirs of a Superfluous Man." The idea of the Remnant, the keepers of the flame, is powerful. But you won't find the Remnant here. Here are doers.

The Car Talk guys weren't dumb. They both went to MIT, for Pete's sake. The one who died had a PhD. They were funny. Smart doesn't have to be all hoity-toity like GJ seems to prefer, sometimes smart shows in a wicked ability to see the humor in things. Plus, they were good mechanics.

I started reading the site right around the time of Gamer gate. I'm a woman, late 40s, not a gamer, not particularly a SciFi fiction fan, and even though I've only commented a handful of times & am obviously not the typical commenter, my experience hasn't been anything like this of the hand-wringing troll. Perhaps the other commenters & Vox ignore my posts & me as a non-entity, & if that's the case, that's my issue, not theirs. I'll continue to read & learn from them, regardless.

Regrading despair and defeatism there is a craven correlation to determinism and fatalism, the issue is which is more productive and worthy of energy. Despair blurs clarity, let it go.

GJ, stick around, pick a name and engage. Great group here.

This video often expresses the zero fricks given matter in that feelings, empathy, prayer are present but feelings are distractions and rest on shifting sands. Prayer is present here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zegdewUj97g

The rules of the blog are often misunderstood in that GJ's immediate opinion was a little premature. It is like listening to one Stefan podcast that makes one uncomfortable when that is not the entirety of his content, its one of many podcasts. The rules here are common safegaurds or boundaries that contribute to a compression zone of reading and best conduct or professionalism if you will.

This blog is an superior outlet for men (everyone), rational though, STEMs to sports to varied never dumbed down content, great themes. Its a loss to stop reading here.

Not OT, totally relevant in that debates here are not held by or for feelings or cowards. Debates and discourse here is done with grace and clarity.

Yet another person Ben wont debate and then insulted when its Milo trying to help people. Ben doubled down and it was painful to watch the last 20 seconds, I mean cringe painful.

Anyone recall this game it was released to 1990 or eve 1989 by Nintendo: set in Japan's feudal era where a player managed the empire? That game and maniac mansion were on my mind this week. Of all things I was trying to remember the theme song to battle of Olympus.

"Finish him!" makes me think Cobra Kai, not Nintendo. "We do not train to be merciful here - mercy is for the weak. Here, on the internet, a troll confronts you he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy."

Anon Y. Mous wrote:Those commenters are autokill-on-sight; their comments are deleted and their usernames are spammed.

Most places on the internet, the word spam means advertising or unsolicited communications. You seem to use it differently here. Does it mean something like being banned?

You can remove a comment in two ways. If you just plain delete it, then that is all that happens. It has no further repercussions. However, if you instead mark it as spam in Blogger's admin interface, it increases the chances of that commenter being auto-spammed, both here and ANY blog that uses Blogger. It doesn't guarantee it of course, but it shifts the balance towards the decision that the comment is in fact spam, in Blogger's automated system which considers many different factors.